1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to testing of liquids such as ground water for contaminants and other dissolved materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been many systems devised for monitoring contamination of liquids, especially for field testing ground water for dissolved metals. However, most devices and processes heretofore devised such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,430,213 and 4,590,810, are not easily adaptable to taking and filtering of liquid and thus have been slow and time consuming and too cumbersome to use in the field. It is, therefor, the object of this invention to provide apparatus adaptable to speed up the testing process while maintaining and improving the integrity of the fluid sample during filtration thereof. For example, filtration with a conventional vacuum or pressurized system can take, if everything goes right, 15 to 30 minutes and thus jeopardize field sample integrity. The instant invention has reduced the field sample preparation time for dissolved metals testing by at least 50% at no extra cost and minimized the risk of further contamination of the samples. As done in the prior art, there is no need to pour the sample from the bailer into a separate filter unit and thereby risk further contamination. Instead, the instant invention provides means to pressurize the bailer, attach a filter unit directly to the pressurized bailer and thereby cut the testing and filtration time for a typical liter sample of groundwater to just 5 to 10 minutes and this minimizes handling time The liquid sample under low pressure flows directly from the bailer through the filter and into a container or sealable vial.